2013 October

In a shocking development, the Golden State Warriors bumped into their former mascot, Thunder, before they departed Shanghai, China. The absurdly buff blue hype man with lightning bolts protruding from his head hadn’t been seen since he was given the pink slip prior to the 2008-2009 NBA season. He was let go because the new Oklahoma City…

The Golden State Warriors’ Global Games tour came to a close with a 115-89 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The game was televised live locally at 4:30 a.m., but that didn’t deter the fans. Props to the people that woke up crazy early (or just didn’t go to sleep) to watch the game broadcast…

If you’ve ever wanted to know what Raider Nation sounds like, you’re in luck. The Oakland Raiders recently teamed up with the music streaming site, Pandora, to create a custom channel just for Raiders fans. Several Raiders players even visited Pandora’s headquarters in downtown Oakland to help capture the essence of Raider Nation. After touring…

Twenty four years ago today, the Bay Area shook violently for 15 seconds as the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants were about to play Game 3 of the World Series. It was a moment that will forever be imprinted into the memories of everybody that experienced it. The 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:04 p.m.…

Welcome to the inaugural SportsNet Central Podcast. Listen in as SNC anchors Dave Feldman and Ahmed Fareed establish their presence in the podcasting world. These guys hear and see it all. Check out what they have to say off-the-cuff and away from the SportsNet Central news desk. They may not have taken Podcasting 101, but…

The government shutdown was difficult for many people. For one Bay Area athlete, it could have been a minor inconvenience. The effects of the shutdown wouldn’t have completely derailed 49ers safety Donte Whitner’s efforts to change his last name to “Hitner,” but it would have prevented him from getting a new Social Security card. Now, there…

Three people with strong Stanford University ties will be on the 13-member committee to select the teams for the first College Football Playoff. Condoleezza Rice, a Stanford University professor and former Secretary of the State, is one of the members of the committee. Also named were former Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham and Oliver Luck,…

An ugly hit overshadowed what was supposed to be an exciting battle of two of the NHL’s remaining unbeaten teams. The San Jose Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-2 on Tuesday, but the team’s singular focus remains on the health of Dan Boyle, after he was taken off the ice on a stretcher following…

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin doesn’t think the NFL takes player safety seriously. He is citing Thursday Night Football as his prime example. Having seen a lot in his 11-year NFL career, Boldin didn’t hesitate to speak his mind when asked about player safety during a Google+ Hangout hosted by Bay Area News Group.…

Legit local hops won’t be limited to the basketball court at Sleep Train Arena. On Monday, the Sacramento Kings detailed several upgrades to their current home in advance of the 2013-2014 NBA season. One of the key improvements they made — aside from fixing the leaky roof — was at the concession stands. The Kings…

There are three undefeated teams remaining in the National Hockey League. Two of them do battle on Tuesday night when the San Jose Sharks take on the St. Louis Blues. It might be a little too early to hype a battle of unbeaten teams, but the game definitely takes on more meaning. Just ask the guys…

Stephen Curry’s skills weren’t lost in translation. The Golden State Warriors guard nonchalantly launched a perfect shot from the top of the key — on the opposite side of the court — that hit nothing but net, while practicing on Monday in Beijing, China. About four seconds into the video, you can see another player…

After a successful career as a professional basketball player and television analyst, could Jim Barnett be ready to take a bite out of the world of competitive eating? Barnett, 69, is entering his final season as Comcast SportsNet’s Warriors analyst, but don’t expect him to push San Jose’s star eaters Joey Chestnut or Matt Stonie…

The Sacramento Kings hope to be in their new state-of-the-art arena by 2016, but until they can break ground and build the place, they will be playing at Sleep Train Arena. With that in mind, they have upgraded their current home in advance of the 2013-2014 season. The Kings paid to add over 90 new…

Welcome to A case of the Mondays. There’s always a lot going on during the weekend. If you weren’t lucky enough to spend the past two days on the couch, you can catch up on the top five sports items you may have missed here. No. 1 – Making waves: There really should be no acceptable…

The Oakland Athletics season ended on Thursday night after losing Game 5 of the American League Division Series to the Detroit Tigers. After winning 96 games and the American League West for second consecutive season, the bulk of the A’s roster will be back for 2014. A’s general manager Billy Beane is know for wheeling…

After ending another Oakland Athletics season, Justin Verlander explained his shutout effort by simply saying, “I’m pitching the way I am supposed to.” He also admitted that he saw the posters of his ex-girlfriend, Kate Upton, in the crowd. How good is it to be Verlander? The worst thing people can do to him is…

The Oakland Athletics are left searching for answers after another abrupt departure from the postseason at the hands of Detroit Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander. Verlander dominated the A’s over eight innings of shutout baseball to send his team to the American League Championship Series with a 3-0 victory. The A’s have been eliminated by the…

The Oakland Athletics have found good fortune on this day in history. As they get set to take on the Detroit Tigers in a win-or-go-home Game 5, here’s a brief history lesson. Oct. 10, 1990: The A’s swept the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. Dave Stewart started the game and only…

Numbers do lie. Just ask Golden State Warriors’ guard Kent Bazemore. Prior to the 2012 season, the undrafted hoopster out of Old Dominion was ranked by ESPN as the second-worst player in the entire NBA — No. 499 out of 500. His teammates joked there were dead people on the list that ranked higher than…

The Oakland Athletics are investing in their future by choosing Sonny Gray for Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers. Could that decision cost them a chance at making history? Bartolo Colon was an 18-game winner this season. His 2.65 ERA was second-lowest in the American League this year. At…

Time lapses seem to be all the rage in the Bay Area lately. If you like to watch things being assembled at high rates of speed, check out this awesome video of the San Jose State Spartans’ new flooring being installed. [RELATED: This is Sparta! Details behind SJSU’s flashy new basketball court flooring]

Tomas Hertl-mania is running wild in San Jose. A day after his four-goal game, the 19-year-old San Jose Sharks forward is still leaving an impression on social media. Perhaps more impressive than becoming the Sharks’ first player to score six goals in his first three career games, is this epic tribute to Jaromir Jagr. And…

You’ve seen 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on “Judge Judy” and “Saved By The Bell.” Could “Hard Knocks” be next? Getting information out of Harbaugh can be like getting blood from a stone. That’s why it’s surprising to hear the secretive leader of the 49ers say he wouldn’t mind allowing HBO’s “Hard Knocks” production crew to…

After a gut-wrenching loss by the Oakland Athletics in Detroit, the San Jose Sharks soothed the vicious sting with an epic 9-2 win over the Rangers. Tomas Hertl, 19, doesn’t even own a car, but he drove the Sharks’ offense. The 17th overall pick in the 2012 draft became a household name by scoring four goals…